1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of audio output devices or speakers and pertains particularly to speaker devices for integration into protective head gear such as a helmet.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
There are speaker and earpiece solutions that exist in the art for use in protective headgear such as motorcycle helmets, for example, to be able to listen to music or radio communications. In the current state of the art, most protective headgear systems require placement of an audio output device or speaker directly over the ear of the user wearing the gear. Moreover, such devices are fixed speaker devices that use some type of fragile materials for the vibrating member of the device such as a paper speaker cone for example. Without this vibrating member, the speaker would have to be inserted directly into the ear of the user like an ear-bud for example. These implementations, while sufficient for producing sound that a user can hear, often prove to be uncomfortable for the user, causing irritation, and sometimes pain in the ear due to the location of the device inside or directly against the ear of the user. Blocking the ear from ambient sounds by wearing traditional headphones can also be a safety hazard or illegal.
What is clearly needed is a speaker system for integration into protective headgear systems that produces sufficient sound that a user may hear without the requirement of placing speakers at close proximity to the ears of the user.